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Brooklyn just scored another reason to love winter, and it comes with blades, skyline views and a whole lot of seasonal charm. SKATE at Domino Park is returning to Williamsburg this November, transforming Domino Square into a full-fledged waterfront rink through February. If last year’s debut felt like a neighborhood experiment, this year it’s bigger, brighter and ready to cement itself as a cold-weather tradition.
The rink opens November 10 and runs through February 22, offering four months of skating under the open sky with the East River on one side and the Manhattan skyline glittering in the distance. At 7,000 square feet, it’s just as big if not as crowded as Rockefeller Plaza. This is Brooklyn—more space to actually move, fewer tourists fighting you for the perfect photo op, and just enough edge to feel fresh. The setup includes glass dasher boards, solid sound and Riedell skates available to rent.
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The schedule is designed to lure both kids and after-work skaters. The skating starts at 2:30pm, perfect for ducking out early from your laptop grind, while weekends and holidays open at 10:30am. Closing time is 9pm daily, which means you can glide under the lights before ducking out for Williamsburg cocktails. And this isn’t just about endless laps. Expect DJ nights, holiday parties, themed performances and family-friendly programming to keep the rink buzzing. Last year’s Santa skate and the Figures Skating in Harlem collaboration drew serious crowds, and organizers promise more of that energy.
Private rentals and group packages have been added this year, too, so if you’ve been tapped to plan your office holiday party, congratulations—you can now rent out a waterfront ice rink and pretend you’re in a Nancy Meyers movie. Parents can also book semi-private birthday sessions for up to 20 kids, complete with space for cake and chaos off the ice. It’s a smart way to make the rink feel less like a seasonal novelty and more like part of the neighborhood’s fabric.
Of course, skating works up an appetite, and Domino Square has your recovery snacks covered. Stretch Pizza just opened nearby, and Frita Batidos—a Detroit-to-Brooklyn import serving Cuban street-food-inspired fare—will join later this winter. Between the warm carbs and hot drinks, you’ll forget your toes were numb 10 minutes ago.
New York has no shortage of ice rinks, from Rockefeller Center to Bryant Park, but this one feels different. It’s local, it’s got swagger and it comes with the kind of backdrop that makes you stop mid-lap just to take it in. Williamsburg doesn’t really do quaint, but it does know how to throw a party—and now, it throws a pretty solid winter one too.